Highlighting the power of local stories, Italy’s box office has been taken by storm by “The Boy With Pink Pants,” Margherita Ferri’s intimate film telling the harrowing true tale of a 15-year-old boy who took his own life after enduring bullying at school and online.

Produced and fully financed by Tarak Ben Ammar‘s Eagle Pictures and Roberto Proia’s Weekend Films, “The Boy With Pink Pants” has conquered Italian audiences en masse, grossing more than €8.5 million ($9 million) from 1.3 million admissions since its Nov. 7 release. In terms of ticket sales, it’s even beat Hollywood heavyweights such as “Wicked,” “Dune 2,” “Gladiator 2” and “Venom 3.”

Without resorting to splashy special effects, a massive cast or a famed IP, “The Boy With Pink Pants” struck an emotional chord across the country and became a cultural phenomenon. Traditionally, European movies that reach that level of mainstream popularity are either comedies or family-friendly animated fare. “The Boy With Pink Pants,” however, is a drama exploring the real story behind Italy’s first publicized case of online bullying that led to the suicide of a minor.